A bike train is a prearranged route to school. Bike trains run officially once a week and have specific meet up times. Biketrainpdx.org is your place for pictures, route maps, and info about bike train happenings in Portland.

Bikeportland.org did a great summary of the get together. Check it out here.

Thanks everyone for coming it was an amazing experience to see so many families there. It was the largest meeting of families talking about biking to school perhaps in the history of the city. It was also on of my greatest highlights in my year+ of organizing biking to school things.

Come learn about the bike rental program, meet other families, and talk about ways to make biking to school a great thing Bring your family. We will have food, legos, and buckets to make/decorate!
Please RSVP biketrainpdx@gmail.com

At the Bike Train party Bill Griesar was named the bike train conductor of the year. This award goes to a parent who has helped to transform their school into a more bicycle friendly place.

This past year Bill lead the Sabin bike train, which held on to the Golden Bike for the most months of any school. He was helped organized a “bike rodeo day” at Sabin only to be stopped a week before the event was about to happen by the school administration, he also volunteered at the after school bike club, going on weekly bike rides with Sabin kids. Lastly, he donated money and organized the building of a very cool metal covered bike rack at Sabin. Way to go Bill and congratulations!

Bill with another Sabin parent and Meeky Blizzard, one of Congressman Earl Blumenhauers aids

making bike buckets

the Sabin bike shelter

at the grand opening for the bike shelter with metal welder Matt Cartwright

helping to lead the bike train group in the mississippi bike circus parade

Last week we had our beginning of the school year bike train party. It was inspiring to see so many people come out to show support for bike trains. The event was hosted by Crank bike shop in SE Portland. Coalition Brewery donated a keg of beer, and the Laurelhurst Whole Foods provided some snacks. We also had a bucket building station as well as a flag making station. The event had several goals, to spread the word about bike trains, allow bike train parents to network, celebrate bike train parents, and raise money for the bike rental program. During the event we raised over $500, enough to double what we currently have for the bike rental program. Check out some of the pictures below and hope to see everyone again next year!

This past weekend I was invited to participate in a bike fair at the Laurelhurst Whole Foods. It was a great event and I got to talk to lots of people about bike trains and even got some people to sign up to be volunteers for this year. Info about the coming bike train party coming soon!

111 riders rode to school to Sabin today, the most ever. In honor of this achievement the Principal agreed to dye his hair the school colors. Below are some pictures from Sabin. Great work Bill and everyone at Sabin, this has truly been the year of the bike at Sabin. Thanks everyone for a great year of bike trains! Tomorrow I’m off to the Oregon Safe Routes To School Conference where I’m going to talk about bike trains to folks from around the state.

The Guardian Newspaper, one of the best newspapers in the world of my opinion, did an article about bike trains in the UK. The group is the same group that got the biketrain.org URL (I will always resent that). But they do bike trains to work with grown ups mostly. There rides are monthly and once they got about 100 people to join one (not up to Beach’s 152).

Last week, Emerson School, a small charter school in downtown Portland (near Powells) had a bike parade and fair. Here is a video from the parade and some pictures from the event. There were people from the BTA, bike safety advocates, and Tricycle Icicles, and Portland Pedicabs there. Way to go Emerson!

Friday morning Beach School ran what is most likely the largest bike train in US history. 152 joined the train including the Principal and Vice-Principal. Check out the awesome video below. There are also some pictures from the ride.